Oxygen Forensic Detective alternative
Replace Oxygen with Paraben E3:UNIVERSAL
One US-built platform for mobile, computer, cloud, IoT and drone evidence. Lower cost to own, reads your existing Oxygen data, and backed by Paraben support and training.
Feature by feature
E3:UNIVERSAL vs Oxygen Forensic Detective
Across the 400+ capabilities in our comparison chart, E3:UNIVERSAL is recorded for 319 and Oxygen Forensic Detective for 199. Here are the ones replacement buyers ask about most.
| Capability | Paraben E3:UNIVERSAL | Oxygen Forensic Detective |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of ownership | ||
| License price | $6,995 | $8,995 |
| Annual maintenance | $1,500 | $3,695 |
| First year of maintenance included | Yes | Yes |
| Physical dongle | $110 | Included |
| Mobile support included with license | Yes | Yes |
| Licensing models | Perpetual or membership, 10-day trial | Perpetual + maintenance |
| Migration | ||
| Reads Oxygen mobile images and Oxygen data | ✔ | N/A |
| Cellebrite UFED (.UFD) and GrayKey images | ✔ | ✔ |
| iLeapp and aLeapp import | ✔ | Not listed |
| Passware images for device unlocking | ✔ | Not listed |
| Computer and memory | ||
| Bootable and remote imaging | ✔ | Not listed |
| Remote imaging of AWS and MS Azure cloud VMs | ✔ | Not listed |
| KAPE, Volatility and IPED data import | ✔ | Not listed |
| RAM analysis | ✔ | Not listed |
| APFS, EXT2/3/4, HFS+, FAT file systems | ✔ | Not listed |
| Lotus Notes, GroupWise, MBOX, Thunderbird email | ✔ | Not listed |
| Email export to PST, EML and MSG | ✔ | Not listed |
| Mobile, IoT and cloud | ||
| MediaTek, Spreadtrum and Qualcomm EDL chip support | ✔ | ✔ |
| JTAG and chip-off dump parsing | ✔ | ✔ |
| DJI drones, Amazon Echo, Fitbit, Ring doorbells | ✔ | Not listed |
| Oculus Quest, smart home devices, trail cameras and smart glasses | ✔ | Not listed |
| Berla vehicle data import | ✔ | Not listed |
| Cloud: iCloud, Google Drive, Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, OneDrive, Slack, Teams | ✔ | ✔ |
| OSINT collection through an investigative account, including Google Maps | ✔ | Not listed |
| Snapchat social media backups | ✔ | Not listed |
| Analysis and reporting | ||
| Facial recognition and AI image categories (23) | $99/year add-on | Facial recognition only |
| Python, C# and PowerShell scripting | ✔ | Not listed |
| PDF, HTML, CSV, DOCX, XML, RTF reports | ✔ | All but RTF |
| Relativity load files and RSMF mobile message export | ✔ | Not listed |
Source: Paraben Digital Forensic Technology Comparison Chart, based on vendor websites and communications with individual vendors. “Not listed” means the chart does not record the feature for that product.
Password breaking: mobile and computer
Close the gap with Passware
Oxygen users rely on built-in passcode brute force and password recovery. Paraben and Passware work together so E3 labs get the same reach: Passware’s decryption capabilities paired with E3’s analysis, and Passware images open directly in E3.
Passware Kit Mobile
Bypass or recover passcodes and extract data from locked or encrypted mobile devices. Sold only to qualified organizations.
- Pattern, password, PIN and alphanumeric locks
- Full file-system extraction, including iOS Keychain, 1Password, Dashlane and encrypted Signal data
- Apple, Samsung, Huawei, LG, Xiaomi and more, on Apple A-series, Huawei Kirin, MediaTek and Qualcomm chipsets
- NVIDIA and AMD GPU acceleration and distributed computing
- Images supported in E3
Passware Kit Ultimate
Passware’s all-in-one decryption suite for mobile and computer evidence. Sold only to law enforcement, government and forensic firms.
- Passwords for 380+ file types, password managers and crypto wallets
- Full disk encryption: BitLocker, APFS, FileVault2, LUKS and VeraCrypt
- Live memory analysis for encryption keys and account passwords
- All Passware Kit Mobile functionality plus the Device Decryption Add-on
- Distributed computing with 10 Passware Kit Agents
Pricing options
Two Oxygen replacement bundles
Choose how you want to buy. Both bundles pair E3 with Passware for locked devices and password breaking, backed by Paraben support and training.
Paraben Passware Bundle
Paraben E3:UNIVERSAL (Perpetual License) & Passware Mobile Kit (Annual License)
$6,995 + $2,795.00 $4,200
Own the license. Built on a perpetual E3:UNIVERSAL license for procurement teams that prefer a one-time purchase.
- E3:UNIVERSAL perpetual license covering mobile, computer, cloud, IoT and drone evidence
- First year of maintenance included, then $1,500 a year
- Passware Kit Mobile annual license for locked devices, passcodes and encrypted files
- Image Analyzer add-on ($99/year) for facial recognition and 23 AI content categories
- Technical support while maintenance is active
- Paraben training added on the same quote
Premium Membership + Passware Bundle
Paraben’s highest level of everyday support. Built on the Premium Digital Investigator Membership.
- E3 Premium license covering mobile, computer, cloud, IoT and drone evidence
- Passware Kit Mobile or Passware Kit Ultimate for locked devices, passcodes and encrypted files
- Image Analyzer with facial recognition and 23 AI content categories
- InvestiGator AI for case support
- Technical support by phone, email, chat and AI, plus the Private Premium Portal
- Training Level 1 courses to bring examiners up to speed on E3
Need more seats or 24×7 support? Professional, Enterprise and Elite memberships add more E3 Premium licenses, Zandra AI, Level 2 and 3 training, monthly expert time and, on Elite, 24×7 technical support.
Not sure which fits? Schedule a demo and we will walk through both.
Low-risk switch
How to migrate from Oxygen Forensic Detective
Freeze Oxygen
Keep Oxygen at its current version, disconnect its workstations from the internet, pause further updates until your E3 cutover is validated, and stop paying maintenance.
Inventory your cases
List the Oxygen cases and archives still in use and export the raw extractions so E3 can re-process them.
Trial on your devices
Run a 10-day E3 trial on devices from your own case mix, including locked and budget models with Passware.
Run in parallel
Compare E3 and Oxygen results on the same devices before cutting over.
Train your examiners
Paraben training courses get your team productive on E3 quickly.
Retire Oxygen
Retire Oxygen licenses once E3 is validated and archive the Oxygen data for the courts.
Vendor provenance
Replace Oxygen with a supplier you can verify
Choosing an Oxygen Forensic Detective alternative is a supplier decision as much as a feature decision. When you buy a forensic tool you are investing in the integrity of evidence that can affect people’s liberty, national security and public trust, so who owns the vendor, where the software is built and who can reach its source code all matter.
Paraben Corporation was founded in 1999 and has focused on digital forensics since 2001. We are a 100% US owned and operated, privately held, woman-owned small business (WOSB) headquartered in Gruetli-Laager, Tennessee. US citizen employees maintain all source code for the E3 Forensic Platform, Zandra AI and our related tools within the United States. We don’t ask buyers to take this on faith: every point below can be checked against independent records.
Supplier validation
How to validate Paraben as a supplier
A 3-step provenance check informed by NIST SP 800-161 Rev. 1, NIST SP 1326 and ISO/IEC 17025:2017. These NIST publications are risk-management guidance, not pass/fail requirements, so each agency sets its own limits. Use the same checks on Paraben and on any vendor you are considering.
Confirm ownership and control
Check whether any foreign government or foreign-government-controlled interest has ownership, control or influence (FOCI) through investment, leadership, board seats or financial authority, and whether a foreign merger is pending. NIST SP 800-161 App. D § D.4.1.3; NIST SP 1326 p. 8.
- Paraben is 100% US owned and operated and privately held
- Verify through SAM.gov registration, SBA WOSB certification status and corporate filings
- Compare results against the Commerce foreign adversaries list (15 CFR § 791.4)
Validate development provenance
Check where source code is developed, compiled, reviewed and maintained, and whether developers are subject to foreign laws that could compel them to share data or code, such as China’s National Intelligence Law or Russia’s Yarovaya Law. NIST SP 1326 pp. 8 to 9; SP 800-161 control SR-4.
- E3 and Zandra AI source code is maintained in the United States by US citizen employees
- Ask us where development takes place and who has access to source code and build environments
- Ask vendors for an SBOM covering third-party and open-source components
Ensure ongoing monitoring
Provenance is not a one-time check. ISO/IEC 17025 § 6.6.2 requires labs to evaluate, select, monitor and re-evaluate external providers, and software vendors fall within that scope. SP 800-161 § D.4.
- Build periodic re-attestation into your contract
- Add a change-of-ownership notice requirement
- Record the vendor review in your lab’s quality file
Case risk
What your cases risk without a vetted, established vendor
Unclear provenance raises reliability questions, and those questions follow your evidence into court. SWGDE Best Practices for Computer Forensic Examinations (18-F-001-2.0 § 4.2.2) calls for tools to be tested and validated before use, and knowing who builds a tool, and where, is part of that validation.
Challenges to your evidence
If a vendor won’t say who built its tool, judges and juries are right to ask what else it might be hiding. Defense counsel can turn that doubt into a challenge to the tool, the examiner and the findings.
Validation gaps
A tool you cannot trace is a tool you cannot fully validate. Gaps in provenance become gaps in your validation record and your lab’s ISO/IEC 17025 external provider file.
Data and code exposure
Developers subject to foreign laws can be compelled to share data or source code with security services, putting case data, victims and investigative methods at risk.
Lost updates and support
A vendor that changes hands, loses funding or goes quiet can leave you without activation, device-support updates or technical help, while new phones and apps stop parsing.
Re-work and backlog
When a tool has to be replaced mid-case, examiners re-process extractions, re-validate results and re-write reports instead of closing cases.
Procurement and audit findings
Supply chain reviews increasingly ask about ownership and development location. An unverifiable vendor can stall renewals, grants and audits.
Paraben has been building digital forensic tools for more than two decades, and we have always been open about our history and foundations. We believe our development practices should meet the same standards we expect of digital evidence.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Oxygen Forensic Detective?
Why does vendor provenance matter when replacing Oxygen Forensic Detective?
Can E3 replace Oxygen Forensic Detective?
Can E3 open my existing Oxygen cases and extractions?
How much does E3:UNIVERSAL cost compared with Oxygen?
Does E3 do passcode brute force like Oxygen?
How do I switch from Oxygen Forensic Detective to E3?
How can we verify Paraben as a digital forensics supplier?
What are the risks of using a forensic tool from an unvetted vendor?
Can I try E3 before switching?
Ready to advance your digital investigations?
Talk to Paraben about Membership Bundles, Perpetual Prices, AI solutions or training, or start a trial and see E3 on your own evidence.